Chapter 323: Nine Springs Below

Chapter 323: Under the Nine Springs

Xu Qing saw Sheng Xunzi.

Sheng Xunzi saw Xu Qing as well.

Just as Xu Qing was about to burst out, Sheng Xunzi's body suddenly retreated, moving very fast, ready to escape.

His speed surpassed even that of a golden core's explosive force, and his right eye's golden crow also materialized, howling toward the sky.

This golden crow was bound by countless illusory runes, one end merging with Sheng Xunzi's right eye, the other end spreading into the crow's body.

This method was exceedingly subtle, allowing Sheng Xunzi to indirectly master the imperial-level technique Golden Crow Refining All Spirits. Now, under the golden crow's augmentation, his speed was extraordinary.

But Xu Qing's speed was even more shocking, rushing into the Lesser Justice Hall in an instant, directly toward Sheng Xunzi.

Just as the seven-hearted pupils' disciples burst forth to kill their way into the Lesser Justice Hall, the Falling Moon Gorge where the hall resided suddenly roared, countless fissures splitting the ground, firelight erupting from them, and a massive hand stretching out from the hall's very soil.

This hand was nearly a hundred zhang in size, its body composed of rocky stone, its surface veiled in flame script, as if lava flowed within the arm.

The thunderous sound shook the heavens, the gorge collapsed, countless stones shot forth.

After the hand extended, it slammed down onto the ground, causing the earth to tremble. A stone giant, thousands of zhang in height, emerged from the depths, its body radiating terrifying flames, its aura surpassing the embryonic realm, causing violent disturbances around it.

It could be seen that within the giant's chest, a black coffin was embedded, and above the giant's head, two figures hovered.

These two were clad in black robes, wearing immortal masks, but not Night Crow or Zi Qing Taizi. One stood, the other crouched.

Both radiated terrifying fluctuations, their masked eyes cold and indifferent.

"How did they find this place?"

"The master said it wouldn't be wise to underestimate any force."

"Looking at this, the other three bases must have people assigned as well. The Torch Alliance is also arranging members."

The Torch Alliance was an organization, so it couldn't consist only of Zi Qing Taizi and Night Crow; there were many more.

Among them, the core members were all renowned, but most were like Sheng Xunzi—peripheral members.

They joined the Torch Alliance but had no qualifications to enter the core, no right to wear the mask.

Only those who had performed the blood-colored performance and possessed at least the embryonic realm could earn this privilege.

Now, these two clearly belonged to the Torch Alliance's core members in the Imperial Capital. The moment they appeared, the seventh prince's gaze fixed on them.

This action by the seven-hearted pupils toward the Lesser Justice Hall was their first strategic objective: to lure out the Torch Alliance's core.

Seeing them appear, the seventh prince stepped forward, walking on emptiness, rushing toward the stone giant.

The giant stared at the seventh prince, its eyes madness, the two figures above it also blurred, simultaneously striking.

But in the next instant, as they made contact, the thunderous resonance of the heavens and earth echoed, the stone giant's body convulsed, its right hand crumbled.

Retreating step by step, the two black-robed figures also turned dark-faced, retreating together, their expressions heavy with gravity.

The seventh prince alone struck down these three immortal treasures, forcing them to retreat.

Meanwhile, as the ground and gorge collapsed, the Lesser Justice Hall's own disciples scattered.

Their expressions were panicked, but the danger they faced was minimal, for the seven-hearted pupils' disciples targeted only the Torch Alliance's peripheral members. However, after the recent events, the ground was in chaos, and all the Torch Alliance's peripheral members fled at full speed.

Though they were peripheral members, the Torch Alliance had unique strengths; none were ordinary. With over a thousand members scattering, the seven-hearted pupils couldn't kill them all at once.

However, the seven-hearted pupils' forbidden artifact sealed this area, so even if the Torch Alliance scattered, they couldn't escape this range.

At the same time, in the other three locations of the Imperial Capital—Xuanyu Temple, Hunt Strange Door, and Lingyun Sword Hall—attacks erupted as well, all targeting places where Torch Alliance core members existed.

Four locations, intense battles, but all of this was a trap.

Just wait and see if Night Crow and his master would appear, where they would emerge!

This wasn't conspiracy; it was open declaration.

The net of heaven and earth had been laid, and at this moment, all the human forces in the Imperial Capital were watching those four points. The Celestial Palace was cooperating, even the Departed Sect was involved, following the Sword Court's arrangements.

Everyone waited, while also guarding against the Torch Alliance possibly striking eastward into the mountain gates of the various halls.

And Xu Qing's massacre was now unleashed.

His eyes brimmed with killing intent, his strikes swift and ruthless. His purple-marked robe and cosmic crown, two fate palaces above him transformed into celestial canopies, spreading rainbow light and releasing black flames. His golden core trembled the four directions. Behind him, the golden crow howled, unleashing an endless sea of fire to encircle. His strikes were brutal beyond measure.

He instantly appeared before a golden core disciple of the Torch Alliance, ignoring the opponent's counterattack. In the disciple's shocked expression, Xu Qing's right hand, a void hand, the Mysterious Absorption, exploded, probing into the man's consciousness, seizing his golden core, and with a cruel tug, tore it out.

The golden core flew apart, shattered in his hand, merging into his body. His body lurched backward, colliding with an alien four-fire heavenly genius. This genius, though notable among his kind, was crushed by Xu Qing's collision, his body exploding into blood and flesh, crumbling. Xu Qing didn't even look at him, letting the golden crow devour, his body surging forward, grabbing a seven-headed knife, swiftly approaching another golden core disciple. As he neared, the man's expression changed rapidly, retreating, while another golden core elder rushed toward him. Xu Qing's speed exploded anew.

In an instant, he caught up with the elder, the seven-headed knife not pausing, slashing his neck.

A familiar voice echoed—head exploded!

The next moment, an elderly golden core approached with all his might, but Xu Qing lifted his head, his cosmic crown shielding, deflecting while his right hand raised, a punch...

Go! The eight directions trembled. The elder's blood sprayed, his cultivation level matching Xu Qing's, but his flesh was weaker. Under the golden crow's ferocious howl invading, he changed color, retreating desperately, but it was too late.

Xu Qing laughed fiercely, grabbing the elder, and in this crisis, the elder had an escape device, forming a protective force. Xu Qing didn't care, slamming his head into the elder's face.

One collision, two collisions, three collisions! The poison spread rapidly, the black insects with the poison core surged into the elder's surroundings, corroding his defense until it collapsed. Xu Qing's head slammed into the elder's face.

Blood and flesh flew, a horrific scream echoing across the battlefield as Xu Qing plunged his right hand into the elder's consciousness, seizing his golden core. With a cruel twist, he tore out the elder's head, separating the corpse.

Without ending, Xu Qing's speed grew faster, howling across the battlefield, killing anyone from the Torch Alliance he encountered, regardless of their cultivation level—if they hadn't reached the three-core realm, they were his prey.

A trail of blood, more than tens of heads rolled behind him, their bodies scattered, headless corpses strewn about, a horrifying sight.

Xu Qing's body was drenched in blood and malice, one collision shattered a three-core foundation builder's body into mist.

In the mist, Xu Qing, like a wrathful immortal, suddenly burst out, his steps unceasing, striking down the Torch Alliance's peripheral members ahead.

Those Torch Alliance golden core members above the three-core level, Xu Qing avoided them, naturally guarded by the seven-hearted pupils' summons. For a time, the battlefield was a sea of slaughter, the earth in chaos.

But in Xu Qing's eyes, his target remained chaotic from start to finish—Sheng Xunzi.

All his previous strikes were casual, and now he crossed the battlefield, swiftly approaching the Sheng Xunzi he had locked onto.

The killing intent grew heavier.

Sheng Xunzi's expression changed, still retreating.

Seeing Xu Qing approaching, he revealed a hint of madness, his golden crow howling upward, while Xu Qing's golden crow also exploded in a more massive form, plummeting toward the ground, pressing down.

In an instant, Xu Qing crossed the battlefield, less than two hundred zhang from Sheng Xunzi.

Two hundred zhang for a golden core was an easy distance to bridge.

At this moment, he became an invisible shadow, moving in an instant, arriving at Sheng Xunzi's side in a breath.

This speed tore through the air with a sharp whoosh, the sound piercing ears, instilling fear and dread.

Sheng Xunzi's expression changed, his face twisted in desperation, knowing he couldn't dodge. His two celestial palaces exploded, his golden crow howled, and he summoned the sword formations, unleashing a sea of swords toward Xu Qing.

Xu Qing ignored them, a punch fell, shattering the endless sword sea, crushing countless flying swords. This punch, with its might, struck directly at Sheng Xunzi's chest.

The Saint Xunzi's external defense suddenly appeared, blocking Xu Qing's punch.

Xu Qing's eyes exploded with murderous intent; he thought of Lord Six's death, of the scenes that unfolded on that rainy night. Though the man before him was not the Purple Qing Prince, Xu Qing's murderous desire was too intense—he had to vent, he had to explode.

Thus, Xu Qing, his eyes red, punched again and again—his third, fourth, fifth punches.

Each punch was a full-force explosion, each a combination of flesh and cultivation, with the Little Black Caterpillar's scattered positive flying rapidly corroding.

The roar of the heavens and earth echoed endlessly, Saint Xunzi's body retreated nonstop, his defense even present, yet every punch from Xu Qing twisted the defense, forming resonance force, making him very uncomfortable, with blood surging from his mouth, one after another.

Xu Qing's assault was like a tempest, without the slightest pause, his fists accompanied by the celestial sword's illusion, ruthlessly slashing, with the Haizhou Nine Layers, a wave after another, the sea water's illusion spreading wildly, extremely brutal.

In the thunderous chaos, Saint Xunzi's expression showed horror, and before his final punch could land, the defense finally collapsed under the corrosion of the Little Black Caterpillar, showing signs of collapse. Xu Qing's punch suddenly fell. The defense violently trembled, shattered into pieces, directly smashed by Xu Qing, crushing the defenses mercilessly, and directly struck into Saint Xunzi's chest. This was the final punch under the Nine Purgatories—the last dam. Saint Xunzi's body violently shaken, spewing blood, letting out a wailing scream, his body emitting a series of resounding crashes.

His 121 meridians directly collapsed! The Eighth Virtual Heavenly Palace instantly crumbled!

The power of a single punch shook the entire universe.